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Country Guide

Krabi - Thailand

Krabi is the port town and departure point for visits to the many islands of Thailand's Andaman coast. The town is stretched out alongside the tidal river, with mangrove forests on the opposite shore. Much of the area surrounding the town is limestone and the towering karst rock formations that characterise South East Asia are at their most dramatic here.

Krabi town has a local feel with few tourists, although there are a good selection of places to eat catering to visitors. The town is very lively of an evening, with a permanent market and a busy 'walking street' on weekends that has handicrafts and local produce.

Krabi is a great place to begin your exploration of this area of Thailand – many beaches are just a short bus ride away, while there are regular boats to the islands of Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta and the less accessible beaches along the coast. Day trips also run from here to the many secluded islands in the bay.

Along the coast from Krabi is the beach resort of Ao Nang. It's been sensitively developed compared with much of Thailand with the bars and restaurants separated from the beach by the quiet coastal road and shady palm trees. This gives the whole place a much more open feel and there are stunning views to the offshore karst islands – some looking ready to topple over.

While Ao Nang is busy with boats coming and going all day, the beach at Hat Ton Son just around the headland is much quieter with a wide arc of sand overlooking the clear blue water. There's hardly any development here at all, just thousands of tiny crabs digging holes in the sand.